Freight-car door



Nov. 15, I927,

- G. G. GILPIN FREIGHT CAR DOOR Original Filed Oct. 23. 1925 ing.

v Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

omrao STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ZGABTH G. G LPIN, RIVERSIDE, ILLINoIs, AssIGNoR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 RAILWA: METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

FREIGHT-CAR DOOR.

Original application filed 0ctober:23, 1925, Serial No. 64,467. Divided. and this application filed February 10,1926, Serial No. 87,264.

. Side doors of railwayfrei'ght cars usually move horizontally to open or close the door opening, thus eliminating the possibility of interference with a car on an adjacent track or other projection. Such a dooris hung by hangers at its upper edge to the side plate of the car or is supported'by brackets at its bottom edge to the side sill of thecar. Rollers or other anti-friction means are generally used in such hangers or brackets. Sometimes a lower track is used and rollers are mounted in the lower edge of the door. Side doors should bestronger in their lower portion because of the heavier loads at this.

part and alsobecause it is subjected to more frequent impacts.

When in closed position the side door is a part of the retaining'wall and as such mustretain the load and also withstand the impact of the lading due to rough track and rough train operation. These forces tend to bulge the door and if it deflects it binds in the associated parts on thecar, making it very difficult to open, and if the door is bent, it is also difficult to .closefwhich difficulties have caused several types of socalled. door 0 eners and closers to be used. A door must E -A side door is subject to' severe impacts by being closed quickly and forcibly, which impacts are theoretically distributed along its entire front. edge by a stop on the car body. However, if the door (or car) is not square the impacts are received either on the top or bottom, corner of the door. These doors are also jambed into the-back stop upon being opened. It frequently happens that the cars are moved with the doors not fastened so that they are slammed back and forth against the front and back stops, respectively, by the movement of the train. When the door is closed its inertia causes a severe tug or pull upon the fastening-means,

causing a severe local stress at this point. These several forces distort the door so that it does not properly'fit the weather proofing means which are provided on the car, resulting in a leaky car and damage claims. (A door must also prevent sparks from the locomotive enterin the car.) Therefore, a door must be capa le of preserving its rec.- tangula'rity.

e very strong to resist bendform a metallic plate adjacent the frame that it reinforces theframe and becomes a part of 1t.

Another object of the invention is to support the door of the car (either at top or bottom) and also to anchor the door fastenings to other parts of the door than the comparatively thin metallic body-plate.

Another object is to make the door very strong in its lower portion and comparatively light in its upper portion. The door may be made of one or a plurality of sheets as desired.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows the door. Fig. Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a modified form. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. The associated parts of the door may be secured together by rivets, Welding or any other convenient means.

The door comprises a rectangular frame consisting of four angular members 30, 31, 32 and 33, attached together at its corners,

if desired by any convenient means. Each angular mclnber'has an arm 37 projecting inwardly toward the door and a laterally projecting arm 38 perpendicular to the plane of the door. The main body of the door comprises a plurality of sheets secured together to form a panel, with the outer sides and ends of this panel secured .to the .in- Wardly projecting arm 37 by rivets, welding or other convenient means. The lower metallic sheet 34. is provided with an em bossment forming a continuous web 35 ad- 'jac'ent the frame on three sides, which web has an outwardly extending flange 36secured to the inwardly projecting arms of 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1..

the frame members. The laterally extending arm 38 of the frame member and the web 35 of the plate thus form the" opposite flanges of a channel section.

The u per sheet 40 of the panel'is flat and preferab y of thinner material than the lower sheet. This upper sheet is also secured to the inwardly projecting arms of the frame members.

When m construction is used in a top' sup orted oor I provide a reinforcing plate -62 inside the door behind the door hanger and a horizontal bar 63 just below the re inforcing plate also on the inside of the door, crossing t e plate and secured to the. opposite frame members. The door hanger is also 7 preferably secured to this plate and bar.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the upper flat plate 40, is reinforced on the inside b bars 6465 which not only prevent the. at plate from buckling but also brace the door against distortion. These bars may be made of one continuous bar.

The embossed plate is reinforced by a .U- shaped stiffener 50 which crosses the embossment and is flattened out (and prefer ably flared out) at its endsand secured to the opposite frame members and preferably cation Serial a metallic plate aving an embossmentforming a continuous web adjacent said frame,

id web provided with an outwardly ext nding flange secured to the bottom and vertical frame members, and a flat metallic sheet forming the upper part of the door secured to the top and vertical framemembers andalso secured to said plate.

2. A door for a railway 'frei ht car comprising a rectangular frame ma e ofangular members havin inwardly projectingarms, a metallic plate aving an embossment formin acontinuous web adjacent said frame,

said web provided with an outwardly extending flange secured to the bottom and vertical frame members, and a flat'thinner metallic sheet forming the upper part of the door-secured to the top and vertical frame member-sand also secured to said plate.

3. A door for a railway. freight car comprising a rectangular frame made of an gularmembers having inwardly projecting arms, a metallic plate aving an embossment forming a continuous web adjacent said frame, said web provided with an outwardly extending flange secured to the bottom and vertical frame members, aflat metallic sheet forming the upper part of the door secured to the top and vertical frame members, and

a horizontal stifi'ener securedto the outside of said embossedplate with itsends fastened to the vertical members. v

4. A door for a railway freight car comprising a rectangular frame ma e, ofangular members having inwardly projecting arms, a metallic plate having an en'ibossment form ing a continuous web adjacent said frame, said web provided with an outwardly extending flange secured to the bottom and vertical frame members,'a flat thinner metallic sheet forming the upperpart of the door secured to the top and vertical frame members, and a. horizontal 'stiffener secured to the outside of said embossed plate with its ends fastened to the vertical members.

' 5. A door for a railway ,frei" ht car comprising a rectangular frame ma e of angular members having. inwardly projecting arms, a metallic plate havin an embossment forming a continuous we adjacent said frame, said,web provided with' an outwardly extending flange secured to the bottom and vertical frame members, a flat metallic sheet forming the upper part of the 'door secured to the top and vertical frame members, and

ill

a horizontalstiflfener secured to the inside j of said flat sheet with its ends'fastened to the Vertical members.

f)'. A door for a railway freight car comprising a rectangular frame ma e of angular members having1 inwardly projecting arms,

a metallic plate aving an embossment formin a continuous web adjacent said frame,

said web provided with an outwardly ex-.

tending flange secured to the bottomand vertical frame members, a flat metallic sheet forming the upper part of the door securedto the top and vertical frame members, a

horizpatal stiffener secured to the outside 'of saidembossed plate with its ends fastened to the vertical members,'and a horizontal stiffener secured to the inside of said flat sheet with its ends fastened to the vertical members. v

GARTH G. GILPIH. 

